CORRECTED-Air Berlin extends maintenance business bid deadline again

BERLIN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Air Berlin has extended the bid deadline for its maintenance division to allow potential buyers to adapt their offers depending on the outcome of talks for its other assets.

The airline filed for insolvency in August and is in talks with Lufthansa and easyJet over a carve-up of assets such as aircraft, take-off and landing slots and crew.

Those talks are due to run until Oct. 12 and bids for the maintenance unit Air Berlin Technik will now be taken in the week beginning Oct 16, a spokesman for Air Berlin said. Bids for the maintenance business had been due in on Friday.

“This gives the bidders a better chance to see how the process develops for Air Berlin and to adapt their offers for Air Berlin Technik accordingly,” he said.

The maintenance unit has around 850 full-time equivalent positions, or around 1,200 staff, a spokesman said.